The Stoic King and the Rose Prince
by Hione
Summary: KarasuxKurama In this lengthy bedtime story, Karasu is given a small fairy creature by the name of Kurama. However, his mother strongly dislikes anything that may jeopardize her chance at the crown. Can Karasu and Kurama overcome her personal vendetta?


-----*~^~*--The Stoic King and the Rose Prince.--*~^~*-----

To start out as any well-known fairy tale… Once upon a time there lived a young prince… er… King, rather, in a far away land. His hair was of a dark, raven hue and his skin was as pale as moonlight. His eyes had a rare shade of violet that none had ever seen before and everyone adored his tall, slender frame. But as beautiful and stunning as his outside appearance was, the king seemed rather… boring.

We begin seven days before the King's nineteenth birthday, the day when all the fellows in his kingdom arrive at his palace, bearing him gifts; animals, jewels, and sometimes even offers of women. But the king was unaffected by them all. Instead he sat quietly on his throne, nodding to each of the bearers in thanks, but turned away the girls. He had no need for them, really. He had enough servants and to be honest marriage to an air-headed woman just wasn't on his agenda.

As usual, the gifts were all quite flashy. Rare gems, insanely garnished wardrobes, a crown imported from another distant land, and a pig.

…Well, the pig was not very flashy, but the farmer that presented it had cleaned the poor creature so much that it literally shone, so Karasu accepted it.

Now, usually the day of Gift Bearing took place three days before the king's birth, but this was a special time where the young king finally reached the age to be considered a TRUE king so it was on the seventh. Although, an important title such as that could not even lighten the man's mood.

After the last bearer left, Karasu rose from his throne to go to his room, sighing to himself. "Nothing here is worth getting worked up over… what a waste."

"A waste… you say…?"

Karasu turned and glanced down at a young man with amazingly long and shimmering silver hair. He was also clad in the dingiest of rags; obviously in the lowest rankings for a peasant despite his cleanly appearance.

"If you intend on thieving from me, sir, I assure you, you won't get far."

The man chuckled and kneeled down to one knee. "Of course not your highness… I come to offer a gift…" So saying he raised his arms high, holding out a single rose in a deep red, porcelain pot. The flower had only just begun to bloom.

Karasu rolled his eyes and stepped down to take the flower from his hands, turning it in his palms to get a better look. He noticed that the rose was constantly changing colors from the deepest of blues, exotic greens, and stunning reds. "This… what is it..?"

The man smiled and rose to his feet. "I told you my lord… it's a gift. You said that none of the others were worth your trouble… I think that you will find this… most intriguing."

The king held the bud up to the light, and even though he wasn't smiling, the peasant could tell he was satisfied.

"Legends also tell that this flower can grant wishes!" The man beamed, Karasu looked down at him and lowered the bud. "Although… it may also cause misfortune if mishandled. So you should probably be on your guard."

Karasu gave a small frown and handed the gift to one of his servants. "Please, spare me the nonsense… it's just a flower."

With an eerie grin, the man replied, "And that assumption, my lord, just might be your downfall. Things are not always what they seem." He then took a bow, a tad mockingly, and left the palace, leaving Karasu to stare after him, contemplating what he might have meant.

--------

Now, the king may not show very much emotion, and may not appreciate a LOT of things, but there is one place he rather, dare I say it… enjoyed.

As cliché as it sounds, the king had his own private garden. In this garden rested at least one of every flower ever known. And now he had a new member to his collection, even though he feigned to have hated the gift, he was actually thrilled. It's not often you get a flower that can change colors, now is it?

The king gently tucked the small pig he received under his arm and tried balancing the rose with the same hand, meanwhile trying to unlock a pair of black iron gates. He never let his servants accompany him to the garden, and if he set the pig down it would run away. If he set down the flower he might trample it, what an awful thing to do to his new guest!

After a bit of struggling he finally managed to push the gates open and stepped down into his colorful abode before taking a deep breath and smiling with a little sigh. The garden always seemed to lift his spirits…

_Still…_ he closed the gates and set the pig down. It gave a loud squeal and jumped down a set of steps, immediately chasing two yellow butterflies with glee. Karasu just shook his head before looking at the strange, multi-colored rose. _What could that man have meant…?_ _"Legends also tell that this flower can grant wishes! Although… it may also cause misfortune if mishandled. So you should probably be on your guard." … Could it really be that powerful…? It IS just a flower… Albeit a GLOWING flower… _ He curiously brushed the tip of his finger over one of the outside pedals and quickly pulled his hand away. "It's so warm…"

Deciding that the warmth was probably just due to the hot weather, (for surely the flower wouldn't have anything ready to hatch in it or anything,) he paced around the garden, looking for just the right spot to put his new family member. After a bit of skeptical choices, he finally decided on placing it near the orchids. "This should be a nice fit for you, huh?" He smiled warmly at the bud before setting it on the ground then sighed to himself. "If only… If only I could be this normal around people…" He glanced over the garden and drooped slightly. "If I showed how I really feel about things in front of my people… they would label me as an emotional king that isn't fit to rule… Or they might get upset about me rejecting their gifts or something… I just wish… I could act how I want for once…" He looked back down at the bud and blinked when one pedal slowly unfolded before smiling. "Don't be in such a rush to bloom… you have your whole life ahead of you."

After making sure the pig was away from the gates, Karasu stood and snuck over to them before slipping outside and locking them back again. He took one last glance at the rose before he turned to head back to his castle.

-----

"Would you like to wear this robe, my lord? It really would be lovely for the festivities." A young female servant asked and held out a silver bundle. Karasu hated silver.

"Yes… that should do fine," he replied stilly before glancing out the corner of his eye to an advancing boy bearing several different silver head-dresses. "And from these, my lord…?"

Karasu closed his eyes. "The crown to the far left." _I hate that one…_ "Mother thinks it suits me best."

The boy nodded, set the crowns down, and patiently waited on an elderly hairdresser to finish with Karasu's dark blue tresses. "My lord, would you like your hair parted in a straight line or different? Halfway down, perhaps?"

The King immediately thought: _Just leave it ALL down, what's the point?_ But he replied with, "Pull all of it back. And use the band with the silver trim." _Why must _

_Every king in the family wear silver?_ "As for my rings, the plain ones with red gems," he told an advancing girl. She quickly bowed and slipped over to his ring-box, flipping it open to find what he asked. _At least I can still have red stones…_ he sighed inwardly but managed to keep his outside appearance plain; thus, the Stoic King.

"Karasu, dear."

The raven instantly rose to his feet while his servants dropped to the floor in a humble bow. The ring girl accidentally knocked over the box and excused herself to grab all the scattered accessories.

"Mother," Karasu nodded kindly to the woman standing across the room. "How are you…?"

"Oh… just fine, dear." The woman gave a fake smile and glided over to her adopted son, waving a hand to his chair. Karasu sat and watched her by the mirror in front of him as she wordlessly grabbed a brush and began stroking it through his fine hair. "My dear child… All this fuss over a birthday when you are already king…"

"I may be king mother, but according to tradition a king is only a true man when he reaches nineteen." _Why must you call me "dear" when you hate me so…?_ "Don't you have somewhere you need to be, mother?"

She frowned slightly and set the brush down, placing a frail hand over her heart, as if struck. "My dear little Karasu… The only place a mother needs to be is by her wonderful son's side… And… you look so much like your father…" She gave a small gasp and covered her painted lips with a quivering hand. "I… I just like to think that… that he lives on through you… every time I see that face… it reminds me of him…"

Karasu sighed and closed his eyes, replying in a monotone voice, "I'm sorry mother… I didn't mean to upset you…"

After wiping away a few tears she just smiled and leaned over, pressing her cheek to his. "My boy… It's alright… Just don't say such hurtful things to your mother anymore, okay?" She nodded to the servants to get back to work before gracefully folding her hands in front of her and exiting the room. Karasu was glad to watch her leave. He wasn't the only one that kept up appearances for the people.

"Well? Finish what you were doing." The servants nodded and quickly went back to preparing him for his banquet.

-------

In the Kuro family's tradition, three days before every male's nineteenth birthday there is a gift bearing. The next day is a banquet in his honor, and the following is a ball before a royal ceremony at midnight. However, with this being a special occasion, the nights proceed as follows: First is the gift bearing, of course, then comes the first banquet. After the starting feast comes a celebratory ball, and then the second banquet follows the next day. A fireworks display is shown on the fifth night, the sixth is yet ANOTHER banquet, and then finally: the king's second coronation into adulthood. Apparently, the Kuro family loved to celebrate with food gatherings. You can never have too much to eat, right?

Yet Karasu wished he didn't have to attend any of these events. _What pointless festivities_, he thought to himself while looking around at the banquet hall. _All of these people… they aren't here to celebrate, they just want the food. None of them really know what I'm like… if they did they wouldn't be here_. He shook his head and slipped down a hallway. First he crept to his room to change into more comfortable attire then snuck carefully through the shadows and out the castle, leaving the laughter and golden glow to find his moonlit sanctuary. He eased through the metal gates, being sure not to let the pig out and kneeled to pet the oinking creature. "There, there… don't worry, I brought you food," he mumbled while pulling out a small container and opened it before setting it on the ground. The pink bubble with legs sniffed at the cat-nip before oinking angrily at him, then ate it anyway.

"Sorry, I'll try to get something tastier for you in the morning." He sighed and rose to his feet before glancing around the garden; a soft glow caught his attention. Curiously, he stepped over the pig and down to the multi-colored rose, watching in awe as the colors changed and shimmered in the dark, casting a soft light on the surrounding flowers. "So beautiful…" He reached out to the plant but stopped when it gave a tiny giggle that resounded like bells around the garden. He looked around then at the pig. It just kept eating. He looked back at the rose.

"King… Ka… ra… su…?"

Karasu backed away slightly, staring at the rose. Such a beautiful and soft chime… and with each syllable the bud seemed to change instantly to a solid color, instead of the usual, gradual fade. "Uhm… yes…?" _I can't believe this; I'm talking to a plant!_ He shook his head and leaned in closer to the flower, staring at it intently. A few seconds ticked by, which felt like hours, and the chime didn't sound again. All the king could hear was distant laughter and chatter from the castle and random chortles from the piglet.

Sighing, he sat back on his heals. "I knew it… I'm going insane…"

The rose gave another giggle and the pedals slowly fanned out, leaving a pair of emerald green eyes to stare up at the doubtful king. The… whatever it was… giggled again and slid its arms from its rose-home, gently resting a small chin on them. "You are a very handsome king indeed… Mr. Karasu."

"Eh…" The raven frowned and leaned closer, studying the little creature. It was rather beautiful, with bright red hair that shimmered in the dark and brilliant green, hypnotic eyes… and that face… So soft and round, perfectly shaped… like a doll of some kind. And every feature about the small figure glowed the same millions of colors as the rose. Karasu couldn't believe such a beautiful being came from one little plant…

"Uhm… I'm sorry… I…" He frowned and quickly sat back on his heels, putting on his best, nonchalant feature. "You. State your name and your… species." _Karasu, you idiot! What do you think this creature is an alien or something? "State your species" you probably insulted it!!!!_

The thing tilted its beautiful head to the side before smiling and rising slowly from the rose, keeping its waist concealed. With a soft whisper, it stated, "My name is Kurama…" He gave another bell-laced giggle as two bright wings fanned out behind his tiny frame. "I guess I am what you would call… a fairy of sorts…?"

"A… fairy…" Karasu frowned then turned his head away. "Then grant me a wish. You do that, right?"

"Well…" Kurama laid back against his flower home, covering himself with a pedal. "I might be able to… but I just woke up… I'm sorry… but your wish might have to wait…"

"Huh! Some fairy!" The king rose to his feet and frowned down at him. " ….. What are you anyway?"

"Well… I just told you… a fair-"

"No, I mean your gender. Not like I care or anything…"

Kurama smiled a little and gave a tiny yawn. "A boy… I'd appreciate it if you did not mock me for it either…"

"Karasuuuuu!!!"

"My lord, where are you?"

"King Karasu!!!"

"Dammit…" the raven growled and brushed some dirt off his clothes before looking back down at the fairy-boy. "You! Stay here. If you go anywhere you will be punished, got it?"

Kurama gave a small nod and rested his head before closing his eyes with a tiny, squeaky yawn.

_He's been sleeping this whole time and he's TIRED? The lazy little thing. But still…_ Karasu leaned over and gently pulled the pedal up to the fairy's chin. _Such a beautiful creature… _

He slipped back over to the gates and nudged the pig away before leaving, locking the gate securely behind him. And just to be safe, he pulled two potted hedges in front of them, in case someone happened to glance in and be overly curious about the shimmering fairy boy in his garden.

--------

"Can you please hurry?" Karasu frowned impatiently while two female servants rinsed out his hair. They blinked at each other before ushering in their work. Usually their king wasn't in such a rush. "You there!!! Bring me my towel!" A servant boy yelped and quickly grabbed three towels from a rack, not taking any chances, and ran them all over to the raven who quickly stood and covered himself. "That's all; I can dress on my own. Get out!"

They paled and quickly did so, the girls blushing from seeing more of their lord than they should have.

Karasu jogged to his room and opened his closet, fishing out any plain clothes he could wear before throwing them on and leaving the room. After the banquet the previous night he immediately went to bed, without even checking on the little thing in the garden.

"It was probably just a strange figure brought on by delusion… it must have been!!!" He quickly skipped down the stairs, three at a time, and brushed off any servants that offered him breakfast, backrubs, songs, or something else that was mediocre.

When he finally managed to reach the gates the man stopped and frowned, lingering with his hand over the lock. _What if it was true…? How do I take care of something so small…? How could I explain it to mother?_

He groaned, opened the gates and pushed a shrub aside, being careful to keep his eyes to the ground. Partly because he didn't want the pig to get loose and partially because he didn't really want proof that he was insane.

"Ah… good morning, Mr. Karasu!"

The king froze and looked up; Kurama was hovering in front of him, in all his un-clothed glory. "AH!!!" Karasu blushed and quickly turned. "You… you don't have… any kind of garments?"

"Garments…?" Kurama tilted his head to the side with a low chime and looked down before glancing back at the king. "What do you mean…?"

"Gah…" Karasu closed the gate and turned, keeping his eyes downward. "Like these…" he plucked at his fluffed out tunic, and pointed to his tights. "To cover you…"

Kurama gave a small huff and flitted away to the pond centered in the garden. "Why should I? A being of nature doesn't need something like that…"

_So pretty yet such a snippy attitude_, the raven grumbled to himself before following the little fairy. "It wouldn't hurt… Wear a leaf at least."

With a cute pout, the small fairy boy landed on a warm stone near the pond, drawing his legs up to cover his lower-half. "Better…?"

"A little…" Karasu clumsily flopped down on a nearby bench, slouching like I self-respected king never would. The red-headed creature noticed this and tilted his head again. "Kara… Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" the raven sighed in a relaxed tone. _Such a beautiful, chime-filled, little voice…_

"You know… act proper in front of everyone…"

The man frowned and sat up, glancing down accusingly at the smaller being. "What makes you think I do that?"

"Well I could see and hear you from inside the flower… and you told me that you wished you could act normal in front of everyone…" He gave a small smile and rose into the air with a happy tone. "Is that Lord Karasu's real wish? To not worry about other people?"

Karasu quickly turned his head away with a sigh. "As if… Unless you can find me a queen, that's impossible."

"A queen…?" Kurama frowned and flicked over to sit on the bench next to him. "Why would you need a queen…?"

"Because… A king has to always act how his people want him to when he's by himself. But... if I had someone by my side… no-one would mind if I laughed, or joked… They wouldn't get insulted if I say I don't want something, because I'd already have what I could ever need… And I certainly wouldn't get anymore women delivered to me!" he added with a low scowl. "Honestly, they treat me like I need a million mindless girls to be happy."

Kurama gave a cute giggle and rose into the air again before gently hovering in front of Karasu's nose, petting it with a soft purr. "Alright… you shall get a queen! 'She' will arrive at the ball tonight… but I need something from you."

Karasu frowned skeptically while still being careful not to look at the tiny creature's form. "What do you need…?"

The small fairy gently laid a glowing hand on the raven's pale lips. "A kiss."

The king stared at him a bit before bursting into laughter, sending the fairy spiraling in the air. "HAHAHA!!!! KISS? YOU??!! AHAHA!!!! You must be insane!!! Look at you! Not only are you a BOY but you're too tiny!!! Haha, I could probably swallow you whole if I wanted to!!!"

Kurama teared up and crossed his arms over his little chest. "Well… it didn't have to be now… tonight would have worked…"

"Nah." Karasu gave another little chuckle and stood, waving him away. "This is ridiculous. Thanks for the laugh, but there is no way you can fix my problem. Besides…" he added with a low whisper. "No-one would like me enough to marry me… Mother said so."

The fairy stopped sulking and drooped a little. "Karasu…"

"Ah, forget it!" The raven smiled and gently pet Kurama's silky hair with his index finger. "That's just how it is and will always be. No sense in getting worked up over it, right? Anyway… I have to prepare for the ball…" He paced over to the gate and gently slid the piglet aside with one foot while glancing over his shoulder at the rose guardian. "But that little queen of yours can still come to the ball if she wants. I guess it couldn't hurt to meet her."

"Would I get my kiss…?"

Karasu blushed for a bit then smiled and slipped through the gates while mumbling, "Deal. You'll get your kiss."

---------

"Karasu dear, your guests are waiting," Miyuki, (yes, THAT Miyuki), smiled her usual illusive smile and paced towards her step-son. "How cute… you decided to dress yourself?"

Karasu frowned at his lopsided robe and pulled a silver crown from atop his head. "Normal clothes are a lot easier to manage…"

"Oh dear, be careful, a frown is most unbecoming for a lonely king." Karasu quickly changed his expression to something more stoic and she gave a cold giggle, completely opposite of the adorable creature's chime in the garden. "Such a silly boy… that's what you have servants for."

"Well maybe I don't want them to dress me." His mother tensed and he paled. _Did I say that out loud…?_

"Well maybe you should watch your tongue when speaking to your mother!" she hissed; something she would never do if anyone other than her adopted son were in the room.

Karasu bowed his head in defeat. "Sorry mother."

A servant boy entered the room with a few others and she smiled sweetly. "Oh, it's alright dear… Just have fun; it's your birthday celebration after all!"

"Yes mother…" the king muttered and allowed the servants to assist him.

-------

"What do you think?" Kurama smiled down at the little piglet, pointing to a dress on the ground. It was elegantly woven with millions of vines and pedals; he even added his own little fairy dust for flare. With all the magic he put into it, you could hardly tell that it wasn't woven from regular silk. "Do you think he would like it?"

The pig just oinked. What else was it supposed to do? But Kurama smiled and nodded in agreement. "I think he will too… now for the finishing touch!"

-------

Karasu sighed inwardly, lazily glancing over the hundreds of people on the dance floor. All were twirling in their own little fashion to the band over in the corner, and all he could think of was how much he did not want to be there. _Such a dull song... it's so slow… I'm about to fall asleep…_

But as our king was just about to close his eyes, an excited murmur came over the crowd. The band even stopped playing. Curiously, he glanced in the direction the people were facing and stared.

Kurama was standing in the entrance, blushing slightly at everyone's gazes. But instead of his usual fairy form, he was now only a few feet shorter than Karasu and only his eyes and hair seemed to shimmer like they usually do. The king was so amazed, he didn't even take in mind the fact that the red-head was, in fact, in a dress. Luckily, no-one else in the room could tell this newcomer's real gender.

Kurama smiled sweetly at everyone before he glanced to Karasu's throne then slowly strode over to him. Karasu rose from his chair in a daze and stepped down to meet him, blushing slightly. "You… you weren't kidding…"

The redhead giggled and flashed his cutest smile, making everyone in the room melt; a guard actually fainted. "Of course I was serious…"

Karasu gave a low chuckle and leaned close to whisper in his ear, "You know that queens are typically female, right?"

"Oops…" Kurama blushed in embarrassment and gently tugged at his king's robe. "Uhm… don't tell...?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." He smiled and gently took Kurama's hand in his, leading him to the center of the dance floor.

The band began playing again and everyone stepped back to give them room, staring in awe at the beautiful "woman" that just arrived. There was one person, however, who was not so pleased with the idea.

Miyuki watched them from her own, blood-red throne beside Karasu's, frowning more and more at each laugh Karasu expressed. "Suzaku…"

"Yes ma'am?" Her personal servant leaned in close to his queen. "Do you need something, madam?"

"Who is that, dancing with Karasu?" She followed Kurama with cold eyes, as if glaring at him would make him disappear.

"Well… I'm not sure madam. Apparently no one has seen her before… and my, she certainly is beautiful."

Miyuki rose from her throne while trying to resist the sudden urge to backhand her servant, before striding from the room. "Send her to me when their dance is over."

"Yes ma'am."

-----

"Karasu," Kurama giggled and gently removed the king's hands from his waist, they had been dancing for nearly two hours yet the raven didn't seem tired at all. "Karasu, I need a little break."

"What? Why?" Karasu groaned and tried reaching for Kurama's hand, but the redhead giggled again and backed away before whispering, "I have to use the restroom…"

Karasu blushed and withdrew his hand. "Oh… well… Go up those stairs, then another flight, and my room should be the third one on the right. Once inside, turn left and there's the bathroom."

"Wow, aren't we special to have our own restroom?" With a little smile Kurama lifted his dress an inch from the floor and swept over to the stairs, turning to wave back at the raven before heading up. He only made it halfway up the second flight before Suzaku bowed lowly to him.

"Pardon me, madam, but the Queen wishes to see you."

"Oh, but… I really should get back to-"

Suzaku gently grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up the rest of the stairs and down the hallway, passing by Karasu's room. "It really is urgent, I'm afraid."

Kurama went to say something, but before he could Suzaku pushed him through a set of double doors so quick that the boy almost lost his balance. After regaining his composure, the redhead looked over his shoulder only to see that the doors were closed, leaving him in a dimly lit room. He cast his eyes around for the source of light and found a large fireplace, where the Miyuki was seated in an elegant, deep red chair. The boy had never seen any eerie horror movie, but if he had, he'd have known that the queen bore the same fake smile of hatred that any homicidal maniac might.

He bowed lowly to her. "H-hello, your majesty…"

"Oh, dear, please; there is no need for that. You are a guest!" Miyuki purred with an evil tone, gesturing to the much smaller seat in front of her. "If you please…"

"Thank you… but, I really should be getting back to-"

"SIT DOWN!" Miyuki rose from her chair and Kurama quickly slipped into the seat, cowering from the woman. Karasu's mother smiled that murderous smile again and slowly began to circle the boy, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Now, my dear… What interest do you have in my child?"

Kurama lightly bit his lip, wondering if he should speak or not.

Miyuki frowned. She was always immediately answered by servants, so Kurama's hesitation was not welcomed. "Answer me, girl."

The redhead blinked. Miyuki thought he was a girl, should he tell her otherwise? Instead, he answered with: "Well, your highness… uhm… your grace…" He hesitated a bit and glanced around the room before looking her straight in the face with a tiny smile. "I… believe that I love him… And if possible I'd like to stay here with him."

Wrong answer. Miyuki's frown of dislike suddenly morphed to a glare of hatred and her words came out like pure venom from her tongue, "If you think I would allow a slut like you to stay here you are VERY mistaken!"

Kurama stared, taken aback. A slut? Really?

"Now, here is what your pretty little self is going to do." The queen quickly took a lock of Kurama's red hair and twisted it around her thin hand, making the boy yelp in pain. "You, are going to leave this castle and NEVER come within these walls again. You are NOT to speak to Karasu, or anyone else that resides here. And more importantly," she hissed and tugged Kurama's hair so he slipped from the chair and onto his knees. "Should you EVER mention to Karasu how you feel about him, I'll make sure those words are the last you will ever speak. Am I clear?"

Kurama bit his lip and gave a small nod, his green eyes hazed with tears. Satisfied with his answer, Miyuki released Kurama's hair and paced to the fireplace, her thin frame ominous from the fiery glow. "Oh, and should you ever tell Karasu what I've told you… I'll kill you both. Try to keep that in mind, _dear_."

----

"Where in the world could he be?" Karasu glanced over to the master clock in the ballroom. Kurama left nearly thirty minutes earlier and had yet to return. The king looked over all the faces in the room but none of them bore Kurama's beautiful green eyes like he hoped. _Maybe he got lost? The castle is pretty large… I should probably look for him…_ With that, the raven turned on his heels to head up the stairs, but took a few steps back when he noticed his mother descending.

"Ah! Karasu, dearest! Where are you trying to run off to?" She gave her sweetest smile and brushed a few pale-blue locks from her shoulder. "Shouldn't you be dancing with your guests? There are quite a few beautiful women here."

"Actually I was just about to look for a particular one…" Karasu frowned suspiciously at her. If Kurama ran into Miyuki, then it made perfect since why he hadn't returned. Color him crazy, but Karasu didn't' really trust his mother. Now why would he possibly feel that way? She wasn't EVIL or anything, surely.

Having no proof to distrust her, however, Karasu shook off that skeptical feeling and held out his hand to help her down the stairs, speaking in a calm voice. "Mother… there was a red-headed … erm… woman I was dancing with. Have you seen her?"

She gave a contemplative frown and tilted her head to the side, resting her hand on his before pacing down the stairs. "Red-head? You mean that beautiful young girl from earlier? I haven't seen her since she arrived, you see, I went to lie down because I was feeling ill…"

"Oh… Well, do you at least feel better?"

Miyuki smiled again and firmly squeezed his hand. "MUCH better, darling. Now, how about we find you another dance partner?"

The king quickly shook his head. "No, I only want her... Maybe the servants saw her?" He turned to look for one to question them but Miyuki tugged him into the throng of guests, shoving him unceremoniously into a group of giggling girls. Within seconds, three of the women took hold of Karasu and tried dancing with him all at once. It was a pretty awkward sight, but as long as it kept her step-son busy, Miyuki didn't mind their wild steps one bit. The queen turned and gave all of the guests a quick, hawk-eyed scan before smiling and returning to her throne. Kurama was no-where to be seen. Her scare-tactic had worked, all too well.

-----

Karasu awoke the next morning, feeling rather annoyed with himself. Between all of the women that grabbed him and swung him around the dance floor, men trying to get him to have a drink at every turn, and his mother rushing him to bed when it was all over; he had no time spared to look for Kurama. The red-head never returned and when the king entered his room there was no sign that the fairy-boy was ever there.

_But we did dance together_, he thought with a gentle smile. The memory of Kurama's perfect arms wrapped around him would be a remembrance the raven would carry to his grave. There was something about the red-head last night that made him feel so… comfortable? Was that the right word?

Karasu frowned and turned over onto his stomach, resting his chin on a silky silver pillow. _Comfortable? No… Amazing? No, not that… Something more… But what?_

After pondering the idea a little further the king sighed and sat up, brushing off his silken beddings. Whatever reason he was feeling this way, (and whatever feeling he was even experiencing, for that matter,) would have to wait. He needed to find Kurama and try to figure out why the boy left him like that.

He quickly strode over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of plain black tights then a dark blue shirt to wear. After dressing and fiddling with the appropriate jewelry, the king made his way to the kitchen downstairs; since his little piglet needed something to eat.

A slight rain welcomed him when two guards opened the back exit, but Karasu didn't mind. His garden was in need of a good spray anyways. Kurama, however, might not like being wet too much and that thought made the king quicken his pace a bit. Once at the gate he glanced into the sanctuary; relieved, yet at the same time upset to see the fairy boy crouched on his flower home.

"So, was my dancing really that bad?" He called out jokingly and slipped inside. Kurama looked over at him, but didn't say a word. Karasu frowned and tilted his head before setting down the pig's food and closing the gate. "What's the matter Kurama…? Did you get scared off by my bathroom or something?"

The red-head opened his mouth to reply then quickly shut it. Instead, he turned his head away in response. Technically the fairy boy could stay in the garden, since it isn't within castle walls; However, the "no talking" rule still remained.

The king stared at him a bit then gave a small sigh and brushed a lock of wet hair behind his ear. "Look, I know I'm not perfect but you didn't have to leave me like that… I thought we were having fun, but if you don't like me I guess it can't be helped…"

The fairy boy winced and looked back at him, eyes full of tears. He wanted to say, "That's not it, I love you!" but the threat from Karasu's mother frightened him. How could he possibly show the man how he feels about him with that woman threatening their lives?

"Hey…" Noticing the tears, the king quickly went over and knelt beside the flower, using his larger form to shield Kurama from the rain. He leaned forward to pet the boy's hair, clueless of what the tears actually meant. "Kurama, it's OK… I'm a lot tougher than I look, so you don't have to worry. You don't like me; that's fine… no sense getting upset over it…"

_But I DO like you, Karasu!_ Kurama thought and clenched his eyes shut. He leaned against the king's hand, wrapping his arms around Karasu's larger fingers for warmth. If only he could say it… Just tell him how he felt and they could be together…

Completely oblivious to Kurama's true feelings, Karasu slowly pulled his hand away and looked toward the castle. "I should probably go… I have to meet my cousins when they arrive for the banquet…" He looked back at the fairy-boy and smiled a bit before picking up the flower and moving it under a small bench. "There, that should keep you dry… Try not to get sick, alright? I'll come back tomorrow before the fireworks display."

Kurama reached for his sleeve then stopped. Even if he did keep Karasu from leaving he couldn't tell him how he felt… There would be no point… The red-head watched Karasu stand and teared up again when he turned to leave. He could never speak to him again? Never be with him?

"Oh!" Karasu smiled over his shoulder, though he couldn't tell that the boy was crying again. "I guess this means you don't want your kiss either? But if you do, just say so and I will." The king waited for a response but Kurama just clenched his eyes shut once more and turned his head away. Saddened, Karasu watched him and waited a few more seconds before he turned and left the garden.

-----

Now, you guys have met Karasu's three cousins Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Hiei before. Yes, I ACTUALLY stuck them in the same family. And Hiei STILL wishes he could kill Kuwabara. Yet in this tale, Kuwabara and Yusuke are from Miyuki's side while Hiei is from Karasu's father's side. Kuwabara is still a brainless moron, and Yusuke is still extremely sarcastic, but Hiei never speaks. He has not spoken a single word to anyone since his uncle's death. And for kicks, lets make him Yomi. That's right, Yomi shall be Karasu's father and Hiei's uncle.

As usual, Miyuki was the first to greet Yusuke and Kuwabara when they stepped from their carriage. Everyone figured she must have over-looked Hiei because of his small stature, but Hiei and the king new better. She just didn't like him. For some odd reason, she never really liked anyone from Yomi's side of the family; aside from the man himself and his son, of course. Convenient how the only family members she loved were on thrones.

"My dear, dear nephews!" Miyuki purred while kissing both boys on their cheeks.

Ignoring the servants and family crowding the other boys, Hiei slipped past her and moseyed over to Karasu. He was used to the out-cast treatment and the king was the only one he really felt close to.

Karasu nodded to him and placed a hand on his shoulder before calling to Miyuki, "Mother, We're going ahead to my room, alright?"

"Yes, yes, whatever dear!" She smiled at her nephews and instantly began to coo over how much they'd grown while Karasu rolled his eyes. After whispering to Hiei he smiled and tugged him to his room, eager to tell him about his little secret.

"Hiei, I can always trust you, right?" He asked the younger teen halfway up the second flight of stairs. Hiei just followed him silently. Once they were safely in the king's room, Karasu smiled and sat on the bed. "You remember the stories dad used to tell us? About fairies and things?"

Hiei gave a short nod and looked around the room blankly.

"Well, I met one!"

With a condescending frown, the younger teen kicked Karasu in the shin, wordlessly saying "You're delusional!"

"Ow! No, really, I did!" Karasu whined and rubbed his sore leg. Jeeze… so friggin hostile… And I can introduce you to him, too! But… "He drooped slightly and dropped a hand to the bed, tugging lazily at the sheets. "He's mad at me… I'm not sure why… He won't even say anything."

Hiei gave a knowing snort. Didn't have to tell him about silent people. As far as Hiei was concerned, he knew the little fairy already just from the fact that he didn't want to talk to anyone. There's no-one really worth talking to anymore.

Karasu frowned at him. "You could show SOME pity…"

Hiei just shrugged and turned his head when their other two cousins entered the room.

"Hey losers! Aunt Miyuki says to hurry up and get ready for the banquet!" Kuwabara nagged at them, already chewing on some food he stole from the kitchen.

"Ignore him; Kuwabara's just a dumbass." Yusuke rolled his eyes then looked around Karasu's room. "Whoa… nice place ya got here! Man, I'd kill for a room like this."

_Sure you would_, Karasu thought icily but nodded in thanks.

"Well, anyway, Aunt Miyuki says to get dressed and head down to the banquet hall." Yusuke pushed his idiot brother out the room before calling back to Karasu. "Oh! And she said to wear silver. She's mad enough that you wore regular clothes when coming to greet us. Personally, I don't see a problem, but you know how women are."

After the door closed behind their cousins, Karasu and Hiei stuck their tongues out. They didn't really have a problem with the two brothers, but sometimes they could be real pains.

Hiei pulled his hands from his coat pockets and stepped over to Karasu's closet, tugged out a silver outfit, and mockingly waved it at him.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." The king hissed and jerked the robes from him.

-----

"Karasu, dear, please sit up straight, you're embarrassing! Hiei, you too!" Miyuki hissed at them while smiling to the guests in the vast banquet hall. Karasu briefly looked at her before sitting up and straightening his shoulders with an inward sigh. Hiei followed his actions but Yusuke and Kuwabara remained slouched over. They were never scolded for things like this. Why would they be? They were her "precious nephews."

The raven looked to his side and caught Hiei's eye before the younger teen made a weird face at Miyuki. The older teen couldn't help but snigger; though he stopped immediately when the queen cast them a stern look.

With another silent sigh, Karasu looked down at his plate then his other cousins'. Even the two brothers had more food than he or Hiei; not like Kuwabara really needed it. _It's amazing he's not as big as a house…_ The king thought with a little frown. Miyuki nudged him under the table and he switched his expression to a plain, bored look.

Hiei just sat silently beside him, watching Kuwabara eat in disgust and wondering if he would actually—hopefully—choke on some of his food. Sadly, the older teen made it through five full plates without so much of a cough. Hiei automatically labeled the banquet as a waste of time and slouched back with a scowl.

Sighing, Karasu leaned close to Miyuki and whispered, "May we go? We've been here for four hours already…"

"Absolutely not!" She snipped, sounding insulted. "You can't leave your guests here! Some are already upset that you took off from the first banquet."

"But mother—"

"NO! Now eat something or you'll insult the cooks."

The king sighed again and looked back to his plate. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he took a small bite all the same; although, the different tastes in his salad weren't what he cared to think about. His mind kept wandering to Kurama and tried to rationalize the boy's actions. _I didn't step on his feet, I'm sure… Maybe his hair got caught in my cufflinks? No… He would have yelled if that happened… Or maybe… it's like that Cinderella story! He had to leave before the spell wore off, but then… No, Kurama would have explained it instead of shunning me…. Maybe he lost his voice like the Little Mermaid? Cursed by a deal he made with a witch?_ Karasu blinked stupidly and looked ay Miyuki out the corner of his eye before glancing guiltily to his food. _No, how could I think that? She may be rude and creepy, but mother wouldn't try anything to keep Kurama away. She has no reason to. _If only Karasu knew how correct he was in that guilty assumption.

The king remained enthralled by his own silly ideas for the entire banquet. Occasionally he would pale at the thought of bad ones, like Kurama being sent to a prison where he'd have to weave hay into gold. Or he was worried that the redhead would be taken away and locked into a tower, never to see him again. Or worse! He would have to marry a frog or a mole! The raven's eyes narrowed at the last thought. No, he'd be damned if he let some slimy toad take Kurama away. But the only question was…

Why was he so worried?

His fairytale fantasies were cut short when Kuwabara passed behind him, shoving the king into the table and knocking the wind from him. Coughing, he looked over his shoulder to see Kuwabara walking away with a big, satisfied grin. Yusuke mumbled 'sorry' to him before running to catch up with his brother. Karasu coughed again and glanced around the dining hall while Hiei helped him from his chair. "Everyone left already…?"

Hiei answered by pointing to the clock, it was already one in the morning. The king groaned and passed a hand over his face, he hadn't realized how tired he was until now. Hiei tilted his head to the side before leading Karasu to his room then made the teen sit on the bed before he pulled the sheets down for him.

"I'll show you Kurama in the morning… k?" The king yawned tiredly while his cousin tucked him in. Hiei just nodded before dimming the lights and nestling in a char next to the large bed, another bad habit he developed from Yomi's death. Sleeping in a bed just didn't seem right when there was no story to accompany it, Karasu seemed to manage though.

Smiling, the smaller teen closed his eyes to rest.

-----

The two awoke the next morning around noon, only to realize the rain hadn't yet stopped. Worried for Kurama, Karasu jumped from his bed and rummaged around for something to wear; his bath could wait until later. Once the two were situated, they calmly made their way outside and into the garden.

Kurama was sitting in his usual spot on the flower, legs drawn to his chest when they entered. Hiei, who was obviously unperturbed, paced over to the boy and leaned over to look under the bench while Karasu followed him, holding an umbrella to shield them from the rain. "Isn't he the cutest?" Hiei just gave a small nod before he nimbly took a seat beside Kurama, who was staring at him curiously.

Karasu sat beside his cousin and set the umbrella between them, tilting his head to Kurama. "Are you still upset with me…?"

Kurama bit his lip and turned his head, making Karasu sigh. Hiei glanced between them then leaned closer to Kurama, eager to get a closer look at the shimmering fairy-creature. The red-head glanced at him then quickly flitted from the flower, landing under one of the bench legs furthest from the curious teen.

"Huh, guess he's shy… I never noticed." Karasu smiled a bit then crawled over to Kurama's new perch, offering his hand to him. "It's alright… Hiei won't hurt you. He's really not that bad, despite his creepy face."

Hiei frowned and smacked the raven in the head before leaning around him to look at Kurama. The red-head nervously backed away from him before looking up at Karasu for reassurance.

After a few moments of silence Hiei sniffled a bit then gave a really loud sneeze, making Kurama scream and fly up Karasu's sleeve for safety. The raven instantly burst out laughing and looked down the neck of his shirt to see the boy nestled against his stomach. Smiling, he gently pulled Kurama out and held him at eye-level. "Poor thing… what's got you so jumpy?"

Kurama just shook his head, since he couldn't speak, and glanced nervously towards Hiei before looking back up at the king. To be honest, Kurama had had enough of new people, thank you very much! Who's to say Hiei wouldn't want to tug on his hair too? As far as Kurama was concerned, Karasu was the only person he wanted remotely near him and his spiky-haired cousin was no exception.

Sensing Kurama's thoughts, the shorter raven-haired teen tugged on Karasu's arm. When the king glanced to him Hiei pointed to the castle, signifying that they should probably go.

"Oh, alright," Karasu sighed then looked toward the semi-grey skies. "The rain's starting to clear, so they might still do the fireworks display… We'll come back then, alright?" he added while giving Kurama a sincere smile. The fairy-boy frowned and instantly took hold of his shirt, as a sign for him to stay. But of course the raven didn't get the hint and pried Kurama off before setting him back on the rose. He then turned to his smaller cousin. "Alright, lets head back."

-----

"My queen, why did you frighten that girl away?" Suzaku inquired while following his mistress down the corridor to her room. "Wouldn't you rather King Karasu have a bride?"

Miyuki answered her servant with a cold chuckle and stopped in front of him, casting him a condescending look over her shoulder. "My dearest Suzaku… haven't you read ANY fairytales in your pathetic little life?" She purred and slowly turned. "It begins with the prince and his mother living happily and ruling over a vast kingdom, then some whore shows up and takes away the queen's throne; leaving her for dead." Miyuki frowned slightly and tilted her head toward the ceiling before mumbling in a cold voice. "I will not let that happen to me. I've worked too hard to get a hold of my throne. I just need to wait until after the coronation before the entire kingdom belongs to me!" She gave another cold laugh and turned, but stopped when something outside the window caught her eye.

Cautiously, she looked out and noticed Karasu and Hiei crossing the courtyard, coming from the garden. Frowning she looked to the sanctuary then snapped her fingers to Suzaku for his attention. "That garden of Karasu's… Has anyone seen it?"

Suzaku glared at the queen behind her back but answered in the calmest voice possible; "No, madam. It seems young Hiei is the only one allowed to enter."

"Just Hiei?" She frowned again then quickly turned to him; luckily Suzaku replaced his glare with a bland, innocent expression. Miyuki quirked an eyebrow at his weird behavior but brushed it off and turned back to the window. "… Does he keep the gates locked?"

Suzaku bit his lip. He knew where this was leading, but how could he defy his mistress? "Yes, madam, but we have a spare key. And everyone has noticed that the young king has been visiting a lot more frequent since his gift bearing."

Miyuki placed her index finger to her lips and stared at the garden in thought, although the hedges were too high to actually see the depths of the sanctuary. "I wonder," she muttered lowly to herself. "That woman… did anyone know her, or where she came from?"

"No, madam. I asked everyone who was here; none have seen her, but a few overheard the girl and the young lord's conversation. Apparently her name is "Kurama" and Karasu only met her the day before the ball--"

"Which was right after his first birthday celebration," the queen's eyes narrowed. After a moment of silence she turned her back on the window, as if looking toward the garden made her sick. She fixed Suzaku with an aggravated glare, causing him to nervously step back a bit. She didn't really notice though because she was actually glaring at a ghostly image of Kurama, the one person she detested the most.

Well, besides her step-son, of course.

"This can't be coincidence," she growled at last, pushing away from the window and towards the stairs. "That girl is probably hiding there… She could tell Karasu everything before my plan's taken effect! I'll be damned if I let her take everything from me!"

Once Miyuki disappeared down the stairs Suzaku stuck his tongue out after her. He really hated that woman; but there wasn't much he could do. Once she hated someone, she dedicated her body and soul towards their… "departure". And to be honest, Suzaku did not wish to be on that list.

_And I HAVE read fairy tales_, he thought evilly, muttering a stream of swears to her under his breath. _And guess what? You're the ugliest witch out of them all, you old hag!_

-----

"I just don't get it, Hiei," Karasu sighed while his cousin helped him with his robes. "One minute we're dancing and laughing and the next he disappears. Now he's not talking to me! I just don't get it!" He dropped his arms to his sides before flopping back onto his bed. Solemnly, he turned his head toward a large painting on his wall. The painting held faded-yellow images of him and his father- before Yomi's accident in the fire that took him away from his kingdom. "I wonder… if dad would have known what to do…?"

Hiei followed his gaze then bent to gather articles of unused clothing, placing them back in their rightful places.

With a sigh, the king sat up halfway before groaning. "I bet it WAS my dancing! He hated it! And now he's upset because I'm not good enough!"

Hiei gave him a skeptical stare before shaking his head and placing a thin crown on the king's brow. After a bit of straightening the smaller teen pulled away and paced to the large jewelry box while his cousin continued his ranting. "Alright, then it was my clothes! No, can't be that… I know! It WAS my bathroom! It probably wasn't clean enough! Or… or… my hair! Maybe it's too long? But his is long too… I don't know, maybe I came on too strong for him, I mean, I was gonna try for a kiss but—"

Hiei growled and smacked him upside the head, the best signal to tell him to shut the hell up. The king meekly complied then looked up when his step mother appeared in the doorway, but something wasn't quite right with her. She seemed normal, but Karasu could have sworn she was hiding something behind that twisted smile.

"Dearest," she spoke calmly, yet her words still fell like poison upon the king's pierced ears. "The preparations are through. The fireworks display will begin momentarily; you should probably find yourself a suitable location to view them."

Karasu gulped nervously and gave a very slow nod, as if any sudden move would send her lashing out at him like a hungry snake.

But the queen just tilted her head with a ghastly, yet slightly demented grin before exiting the room.

Once the door closed Hiei relaxed noticeably beside the king, exhaling the air he held since she first arrived. He noticed something was wrong too, but neither teen could figure out just what.

"Man, she looked like she just crawled out of hell," Karasu joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Hiei just stared at the closed door, unable to move yet. Miyuki had that eerie effect on people that weren't used to her, and it seemed she took a turn for the worst in the past thirty minutes. What could have happened?

After a few more moments of staring at the door, Karasu finally had enough and shook off his fear before jumping to his feet. "Alright, lets get back to the garden! Kurama's probably waiting and I don't want him to be alone when the fireworks go off."

However, the red-head was not waiting for them like he hoped. The raven looked all around the garden, but not even the multicolored rose was visible among the various plants. "That… can't be right…" In slight panic, the king searched any and everywhere he could but there was no sign of the fairy boy or his home. The chubby pig and a few rabbits were all he found. Disheartened, he desperately turned to Hiei before giving the sanctuary another scan. "He… has to be here… he wouldn't just LEAVE… he couldn't…" Without knowing it, a few warm tears rolled down Karasu's cheeks, but he still continued his search. He even looked in the pond, halfway hoping that he could find Kurama there—but the boy was gone.

The raven knelt hopelessly beside the dark water. Kurama wasn't there… _He left… But why…?_ A few more tears fell and he clenched at his robes, feeling completely lost. _WHY would Kurama leave me?_

Hiei waited a few moments then slowly stepped forward. Just as he reached for Karasu's shoulder to comfort him, a firework bursted overhead, causing both teens to jump and look up. Karasu instantly broke into tears again—the sparks were the same shade of red as Kurama's hair— the same shade of beautiful locks he might never see again.

Sensing this, Hiei wiped away Karasu's tears with his sleeve and helped him up. Silently, Karasu stumbled his way to the large abode, Hiei leading him along the way.

-----

The next day was, for lack of a better word, hell for the raven. He didn't get any sleep—there was no point. When offered breakfast, the king simply turned his head. The entire morning he laid in bed, refusing to speak and resisting attempts by servants to remove him from his comfortable, yet extremely lonely resting place. Even Hiei couldn't coax him from the four-poster bed with trays of sweets the raven usually adored.

Eventually his servants gave up and left him alone, but Hiei stayed behind to offer comfort. By request, the silent teen went back to the garden that morning to look for Kurama; but, like the night before, there was no shimmering figure to be found anywhere in the sanctuary. Upon this saddening news Karasu retreated even further into his silken sheets, refusing to even show his face.

The raven wasn't sure why he felt such a terrible sadness over Kurama's disappearance. The only other time he had ever felt this horrible was when the fire took his father away, leaving him alone with Miyuki and her family. Karasu clenched his teeth and buried his face in the pillow. The memory of that day still brought tears to his eyes—especially now when he's lost someone else he cares for.

He gasped and lifted his head up a bit, though still concealed by his beddings. _That's it… the only reason I'd be this upset over Kurama is if I…_

But before he could elaborate on the thought, Hiei roughly jerked the raven's foot until he sat up to look at him. Hiei was staring in the doorway, and once the king followed his gaze he understood why.

Miyuki was there, giving him a sad frown that still seemed somewhat satisfied. "My poor baby…" She cooed to him and glided over, taking a gracious seat next to her adopted son. With fake, trembling lips she kissed his forehead and laid a slim hand on his arm in feigned concern. "My dearest boy, what's wrong?

Karasu glanced down at her hand dully before shaking his head. He couldn't tell her, she'd never understand.

That answer seemed to suit the queen just fine because she jumped to her feet and clapped her hands together. "Alright then, if nothing's wrong, then why don't we get you prepped for the banquet? You have a big day tomorrow, _dearest_! So you should celebrate while you can!" With that, she called to the servants to come back in then gave the king a sharp pat on the head before exiting the room.

Hiei stared after her with a strange expression suggesting that he was trying to decide if she was stupid or just plain nuts. He looked back at Karasu then sulked a bit when he noticed the raven's mood darkened from Miyuki's nonchalant attitude. Then again, who could blame him? Fake concern was worse than being stabbed in the back. Although, if Miyuki had her way, Karasu would know both pains after the coronation tomorrow. Yet no-one other than Suzaku seemed to know of her devious plot.

Hiei, however, took a minute to try to piece it together. Something just wasn't right… but what?

Deciding to discuss it with Karasu, the shorter teen waited patiently for the servants to finish their business and leave. Eventually they did and Karasu stood before him clothed in kingly attire. Though from Hiei's perspective, the raven looked like more a marionette than a king. A puppet dangling from severely thin threads that could snap at any moment.

Karasu turned to the mirror then sighed and sat on the edge of his bed.

"…. Don't…. you think it's… strange…?" Hiei muttered slowly—the first time he had spoken in thirteen years.

Karasu frowned a bit then glanced over at him in slight shock. "Hiei…?"

Hiei just turned toward the door, his speech sounding more natural with each word he uttered, "She seemed… excited… like an obstacle was removed from her way…" He gave a small frown and turned back to the raven. "You said that after Kurama left the ballroom she came from upstairs and forced you to dance with other women?"

The raven just nodded, not wanting to interrupt Hiei's first speech since they met at his father's wedding. The smaller teen glanced to the floor then back at Karasu with knowing eyes. "She did something… Kurama must have stopped talking because he met her and she said something that frightened him. And you don't find it strange that her demeanor changed JUST before Kurama disappeared? And unless he took on that human form again he never could have moved that plant on his own."

Karasu stared at him for a moment then paled when he realized what his cousin said. Miyuki took Kurama away from him? But why? What could she possibly gain from doing something like that?

As if on cue, Suzaku came into the room, bowing guiltily to Karasu. "I'm sorry… I overheard your conversation and I couldn't help but intervene…" He gave a small sigh and straightened up to allow a few of the castle soldiers to enter the room. "Take them below and try to be sure they're quiet."

"What?" Karasu hissed and tried to pull away from an advancing guard. "Suzaku, what the hell are you doing?!"

Without looking at him, the main servant answered, "Abiding by lady Miyuki's wishes. I'm afraid she wants you dead and she warned me that if you even got remotely close to finding out to have you detained. My deepest apologies, your highness." Suzaku turned to leave, waving for the guards to hurry.

Two of them quickly took hold of Karasu's arms just as he tried to make a leap for the blonde and he hissed when they tried to hold him back. "DAMMIT SUZAKU!!!! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU YOU'RE DEAD!!!!" The main servant stopped and glanced briefly at him before slipping out into the corridor.

_Dead, huh?_ Suzaku thought while trying to ignore the muffled gasps of the teens as they were taken under by chloroform-soaked kerchiefs. _Like I haven't been manipulated by THAT threat before._

-----

Now, there are many ways our dark-haired protagonist loves to be awakened, but being greeted by a horrid stench and lying on a cold, damp stone floor was NOT one of them. He groaned and tried rolling over, barely managing to move his arm.

Hiei, who had a lesser reaction to the chloroform, was already seated up in a far corner and growling to himself. "I FINALLY talk again and THIS happens."

Karasu gave a small chuckle then groaned again when he realized how badly his head hurt. "Damn, what'd they do, drop me on the cement?" He whimpered while trying to move his arm again. He succeeded and instantly began to massage his temples but stopped when there was a faint tinkling from the other side of the large room.

"Kar…asu…?"

"Kurama?!" The raven sat up and looked around in the dark, eventually spotting a small glimmer several cells away. "KURAMA!" He cried out and pressed himself against the bars, wishing that they were at least in the same cell.

Kurama leaned against the bars of his birdcage, eyes watering over with tears. "Karasu… I'm so sorry… I didn't want this to happen…"

The raven just smiled and shook his head. "No, no, it's alright… I'm just glad you're speaking to me again… Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"Well, no, but…" Kurama's shoulders drooped a bit and he picked up a faded grey rose pedal from the cage floor. "My flower…." He signaled over his shoulder to the multicolored rose, although something was different. Besides a few missing pedals that were now scattered on the floor, the rose seemed… dull. Almost like the light had gone out. For whatever reason, the rose was dying, and Kurama's wings were beginning to turn to the same deathly shade.

Realizing this, the king gripped the bars to his cell, trying to keep his voice calm. "Kurama… what…does that mean…?"

The redhead just looked back at him before letting the gray pedal drop back to the floor. Once it hit the silver cage the pedal flaked and snapped, leaving a pile of ash and crumpled debris. That was all the answer Karasu needed. Kurama sighed and slowly gathered some of the ash into cupped hands. "There are only seven more pedals…. So far they have dropped by the hour… Which means I have…"

"Just seven more hours," Karasu whispered quietly, staring at Kurama's small form and wishing even more that he could hold him. "Do you think you can get out of that cage…?"

"I've tried…" Kurama answered and gently let the ash fall from his hands. "It's locked… Karasu… I'm scared…"

The king sighed heavily then cast the boy a reassuring smile. "Don't worry! Dad used to tell me stories like this all the time! The heroes always get locked up—but they get away in the end!"

"Those stories…. Were they real?"

"Uhm… well…" Karasu began but Hiei gave a little snort. "No. They were fake. Real people that get locked up like this die in the end."

With a small squeak, the younger boy instantly began to cry and curled his tiny frame into a tight ball—as if that could help him.

"Dammit, Hiei! You should have stayed mute! Kurama, don't listen to him, he's an idiot!" The king softened his voice and flashed another smile. "Now don't worry… you're with me… we'll find a way out of here, I swear!" _Although_, he thought to himself glumly, _How can I possibly fix the rose…?_

Kurama slowly lifted his head, eyes clouded with tears. "You… you mean it…?"

"Of course." The raven blushed slightly and leaned closer to the bars, lowering his voice a bit more. "And… I also have something I need to tell you…"

Kurama quickly turned his head away to hide his reddened cheeks, whispering too. "And… I have to tell you something as well… The reason Ms. Miyuki forbade me to talk to you is because… because I…" The redhead slowly turned to face Karasu, but before he could say anything further a bright square of light spilled over the room, temporarily blinding all three of its occupants. Once he could see again, the raven glanced over to the door way, finding Miyuki's thin silhouette in its frame. Amazing how his step-mother appeared surprisingly evil even when surrounded by such beautiful light.

"Oh, if it isn't my little step-son! What on Earth are you doing down here, dearest?" With a cold giggle, Miyuki glided down a small set of steps before pacing to the cell holding Karasu and Hiei. "And look at you! Your clothes are all soaked!"

Karasu gave a small frown and plucked at his dry shirt. He had suspicions that Miyuki was insane, but surely she wasn't blind. "But they're—"he began but was instantly cut off once a wave kerosene flooded over him. The king quickly tried to wipe the liquid from his face before it reached his eyes and glanced over to see Suzaku flinging a bucket of kerosene over Hiei as well, causing the younger teen to yelp in surprise. Once Hiei was soaked, Suzaku grabbed another container and began to pour a trail of the flammable liquid from their cell to Kurama's, stopping before the fluid reached the small fairy. He slipped into the cell and tauntingly held the mouth of the container over the small figure and the rose; as if daring Karasu to try anything.

"Thank you, dearest!" Miyuki called to her servant then gave a small purr and stepped closer to Karasu and Hiei's cell. "Comfortable?" she asked the king mockingly.

"Why…." The raven coughed and tried to wipe kerosene from his tongue, but it did him no good considering the fact that he was covered in the liquid.

"Why? Why what, dear? Why am I going to kill you?" The queen smiled sweetly at him, as if nothing were wrong. "Dearest, you are the king! But if you were to get yourself a little queen then where would that leave me? I want the throne, but you're in the way. Honestly, Yomi told you enough fairy-tales for you to know that common cliché."

Karasu stared at her a bit then glanced to Suzaku for reassurance. The servant gave a slight shrug and tilted the container towards Kurama a bit more. "Trust me, I've heard this drama bit plenty of times—so you should know that Lady Miyuki is serious."

"Call it drama again, Suzaku, and YOU will be in the fire as well." The main servant bit his tongue and turned his head away. Miyuki gave another giggle and slipped a thin hand through a gap in the bars, cupping Karasu's chin. "My boy… surely you've guessed it by now?"

Karasu frowned quizzically at her. "Guessed… what…?"

"Sweetheart, REALLY? Your father gets caught in an accident RIGHT after our wedding? Not to mention he died in a FIRE." With a cold laugh, she shoved Karasu backwards into the cell then paced over to Suzaku.

The king stared back at her, at a loss for words. She killed him... Miyuki killed his father… Just for the throne… she killed him…

Hiei, coming to terms with his recovered voice, jumped to his feet and hissed at her. "YOU STUPID WHORE! HOW THE HELL COULD YOU?!?! Besides! Even if you DID kill us, people would know! It's too suspicious!"

"Then I'll kill them too!" She giggled again and gently placed a hand on Suzaku's arm—the one holding the can of kerosene. Kurama looked fearfully up at the container and whimpered when a single drop fell to land in his bright red hair.

Karasu instantly snapped from his shock and rose to his feet as well, desperately grabbing at the bars. "Don't!!! Leave him alone!"

Suzaku and Miyuki stopped, looking at him like he just became infected with the plague or something. They looked back at Kurama then saw to their utter horror that he was, indeed, a male. Up until now they didn't really care to notice.

"That's… not something you want to see on a woman…" Suzaku muttered and Miyuki slapped him in the face.

"Who cares?!" she growled then turned her attention back to Karasu. "Either way all of you will die down here, so it makes no difference to me!!! It is a shame though; I kill Yomi for not accepting me and now I have to kill you—the king who actually likes men in drag."

Everyone else in the room stared at her in shock, but none could say anything except Hiei. "The hell does that mean?" he blurted stupidly.

Miyuki fixed him with her deadliest glare and slipped past Suzaku to go back to Karasu and Hiei's cell. "It means, you little idiot, that I'm a MAN!"

The boys paled and Suzaku dropped the kerosene can in shock. Luckily, it missed Kurama, but the fairy-boy probably wouldn't have noticed anyways because Miyuki's statement caused his brain to shut down.

Miyuki…. Is a HE?

_Oh my God, my stepmother is a guy!_ Karasu thought.

_How? He's so pretty!_ Kurama mused.

_I should have seen it coming…_ Hiei gaped in horror.

_I CAN'T BELIEVE I KISSED A MAN!!!!_ Suzaku thought in disgust. Luckily, all of these statements were kept private in their minds so Miyuki didn't hear them.

Miyuki gave a cold scowl and tossed his faded blue hair over his shoulder. "That's right, idiots, I'm a man!" He then turned to Kurama and brusquely lifted the boy's cage into the air, causing him to tumble into the bars with a whine. "But I suppose… you and I are alike."

Kurama frowned back at her then huffed. "We are NOTHING alike! You're an ugly monster—you kill people!!!"

Miyuki hissed before throwing the cage back onto the floor. "Shut up you stupid brat!!!"

"KURAMA!!!" Karasu cried out then gasped when Miyuki picked up the can of kerosene next to Kurama. "No… don't!"

"Oh relax; it's not the liquid that will kill him." With an evil smirk, Karasu's "step-mother" dumped all of the fluid over the boy and tossed the empty can to the side. "You know, I was going to let you live, but since you've gone and pissed me off you can just die with the other two!"

Kurama just coughed, choking on the fumes, and tried to sit up. Miyuki frowned and swiftly kicked the cage, causing it to smack into one of the cell walls. Once it stopped spinning, the door to the cage popped open—but Kurama was out cold. Four more pedals dropped from the rose to the floor, instantly fading to gray.

"KURAMA!!!!" Karasu cried once again in desperation. "Miyuki, don't do this! Look, we wont tell anyone, I'll let you have the throne just please stop!"

"Awww, Karasu dear; whatever happened to calling me 'mother?'" Miyuki purred dangerously and paced to his cell once again, leaning close to the bars. "And even if you were to give me the throne; I couldn't very well let you live. Everyone would find it far too strange for you to suddenly hand the kingdom over for no reason. They'd say I threatened you to."

"But you ARE threatening me!" Karasu growled. "Look, we'll fake our deaths or something! Then we'll leave, I swear! Just don't do this!"

Miyuki sighed and straightened up before heading towards the exit. "You just don't get it—letting you live is too much of a risk. Who's to say you wouldn't tell someone? Suzaku! Come here!"

The main servant jumped and hesitantly walked over, trying to brush off the fact that his mistress was a man the entire time. _No wonder we never had sex… _Suzaku shuddered and bowed to Miyuki before helping him up the steps.

Once safely out of the room, Miyuki rummaged through his dress a bit before pulling out a small match. He flashed Karasu a dangerous smile and swiped the match against the stone wall, causing it to spark into a small flame. "Au revoir, _fils_!" he called before tossing the match into the room. Suzaku gave them a pitying look before closing the door behind him and Miyuki, locking it shut.

"……….. I didn't know he spoke French."

"Hiei, now is REALLY not the time!" Karasu snapped and watched as the lit match rolled slowly towards a puddle of kerosene. "Dammit, how the hell do we get out of this?!" He groaned and looked over to Kurama's cell. "Well at least he's knocked out so he won't feel any pain…"

"Way to look on the bright side, genius," Hiei grumbled. He stared at the match, trying to come up with a plan, but neither of them could think of anything. As the flame inched closer Karasu clenched his eyes shut, letting a few tears roll down his cheeks. "It… it can't end like this… I didn't even get to tell Kurama…" Then he heard a low whine and turned to face the redhead once more.

Kurama groaned and lifted his head up, blinking tiredly. "What… happened…?"

"Kurama…"

Something about Karasu's voice made the redhead freeze and bite his lip. Hesitantly, he looked up and caught the raven's eye. "Karasu…?"

"Kurama… I…" Karasu tried to say, but Hiei cut him off with a loud, piercing scream. The king didn't even have time to glance over before he and Hiei both were engulfed in burning flames.

"KARASU!" Kurama cried and quickly flitted through the cell bars in desperation to reach him, but there was nothing left in the deathly flames—the two teens didn't even have a chance to scream before being taken into the fire. He stopped and choked back a few tears. "No… no…. NO!" He screamed, unable to take the loss, and covered his face with his hands, not even noticing as the fire spread quickly toward the rose. "Please…" he cried. "Not like this… this can't happen… STOP!!!"

And without him noticing; the flames actually did stop just before they hit the rose. The flower then began to glow brighter than usual until a blinding light filled the entire room. Before Kurama even knew what happened he found himself lying in a patch of warm grass, Karasu and Hiei safely beside him. He stared at the boys a bit before glancing to the rose. Two more pedals slowly dropped to the ground, leaving only one behind.

"I… I don't… understand…" the boy whispered then looked around. Somehow they were transported to the garden.

Karasu gave a small grunt and rolled onto his side, facing the smaller boy. He seemed like he was caught in a daze, which was normal considering the fact that he was just burned alive and miraculously escaped unharmed. "Ku… rama….?" The raven frowned and blinked a bit. "What… just happened…?"

Kurama instantly burst into tears and flew over to him, nestling in the larger man's hair. "Karasu… you're alive…! I-I'm not sure how… but... you and Hiei…. You're alive!"

Karasu blinked stupidly before looking around the garden, still a little out of it. "Alive… of course I am… I don't see why I wouldn't… Ah! The fire!" He looked down at Kurama then smiled warmly when the boy hiccupped from a few tears. "Aww, Kurama…" He gently held the small creature closer and closed his eyes, sighing in relief. He wasn't sure how the little guy did it, but the redhead had managed to save them all.

"Worst… visit… ever…" Hiei groaned from behind him. Karasu turned and saw the younger teen trying to get to his feet but Hiei stumbled and fell back to the grass, still a bit weak. Karasu laughed and pulled his cousin into a one-armed hug, being careful not to squish Kurama. "Ugh, gettoff you freak! How can you be happy?! That felt terrible!!!"

"Yeah but we're ALIVE!" The king laughed again and held Kurama above his head, smiling. "All thanks to you… You really are special!"

"But… I'm not even sure what I did…" Kurama squeaked shyly. "Maybe it was… a miracle or something?"

"Or it could have just been his power. He IS a magical creature after all."

The three boys looked at each other then frowned when they noticed that none of them said anything. A loud cough came from the gate and they turned to see a man with long, silver hair.

Karasu recognized him at once and blinked in surprise. "Hey… you're the guy that gave me Kurama…."

The man bowed and flashed a small smile. He appeared better kept than when he was first shown. Instead of dingy peasant rags, the man was now dressed in white, silken clothes and his hair seemed to shimmer in the morning light. "I see you've been having problems with my gift, your highness? But with that aside, I think it is time for your coronation…"

Karasu frowned then looked toward the castle. It was morning already… "But… Miyuki…"

"I'll kick his ass for you," Hiei mumbled and the newcomer laughed.

"Now now, I don't think that will be necessary! Just let ME talk to him," the silver-haired man purred before offering his hand to the raven. "If you please… I'm afraid we only have roughly one hour to settle this." He nodded to what was left of Kurama's rose.

Karasu held Kurama closer and nodded. "Alright…"

When the men entered the castle, it became rather apparent that Miyuki had not yet told anyone of their supposed death. Servants still greeted Karasu and Hiei normally, but they held confused expressions upon seeing Kurama in their King's arms. No-one reacted as if the men were walking corpses though, which was relieving.

Hiei gave a low short. "Miyuki probably wanted to wait until he had an alibi so he wouldn't be pegged for killing us."

"Probably…" Karasu mumbled and turned his face downward to Kurama. "Are you sure you're alright?"

The boy just gave a short nod and rested his head against Karasu's shirt. Using all of that power weakened him terribly, but he wouldn't want Karasu to worry about something like that.

Karasu looked back up and scanned the room but Miyuki wasn't there. "He must be in his bedchamber… Lets just try to keep this private when we see him, alright?"

"WHY?" Hiei growled. "We should drag him down the stairs by his hair and tell everyone what he tried to do!!!"

"No, I think the young king is right, Hiei." The newcomer replied matter-of-factly. "This should be dealt with quietly—to not cause panic, of course."

"Yeah, whatever," the small teen grumbled, furiously stuffing his hands into his dark coat as the group made their way toward the stairs.

Quietly, they passed through the top corridor, stopping just outside of Miyuki's door.

"Suzaku, honestly, quit looking at me like that!"

Karasu froze and signaled to the others to be quiet before he opened the door a tiny crack. He saw Miyuki pass by and held his breath when the man stopped close to the door. "Honestly, it's not like I LIED to you."

"But you're a MAN," Suzaku frowned in disgust. "You could have at least said something! Ugh, and we've been together since the king died?! What the hell's wrong with you!? And Karasu…."

"Oh please! He would have died when he got older; I just cut his life shorter a bit!"

"You KILLED him!"

"And you helped," Miyuki purred dangerously. "Face it, Suzaku—they're GONE. All four of them. And unless you want to join them…"

Suzaku turned his head away, sighing. "Miyuki…. What happened to you? Ever since Yomi died…"

"Shut up! Don't you even say his name!" Miyuki hissed before slapping Suzaku hard across the face.

"That's some hell of a lover's quarrel," Hiei mumbled behind Karasu. The king just looked at him then down to Kurama before handing the fairy creature to Hiei. "Hold him…"

"What are you going to do?" the boy whispered fearfully.

"May as well confront him… Something just doesn't seem right… If Miyuki killed my dad then why would he get upset when he hears his name? He can't have hated him THAT much…"

The newcomer with silver hair nodded. "I'll come with you…"

"Why do I have to stay out here?!" Hiei hissed and Karasu covered his mouth.

"Just protect Kurama, alright?" The king whispered. After a deep breath he placed his hand through the crack in the door and opened it wider. Both Miyuki and Suzaku turned to stare at him, dumbfounded.

"K… Karasu…?" Suzaku whispered, sounding relieved. "You're… not dead…"

Karasu ignored him and instead focused all of his attention on his supposed "step-mother". Miyuki was so shocked he couldn't even think of words to say. And although he seemed devastated that the teen was alive, it also seemed like he too was relieved in some way. Karasu stared him down a bit before speaking lowly. "Miyuki…" Miyuki tensed and backed away a bit. Karasu looked over his shoulder for support.

The silver-haired man gave a small smile and stepped forward. "It seems, Miyuki, that you have been causing a LOT of problems for the inhabitants of this castle… Now why is that?"

Miyuki opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it when the man became within a few feet's distance of him. The silver-haired man tilted his head slightly, holding a questioning smile. Miyuki nervously bit his lip and backed away. "W… what do you care?"

"Surely you don't REALLY hate your step-son, did you?" The man purred, leaning closer.

Karasu stared at them, mouth wide open. What the hell kind of interrogation was this? The king couldn't tell if the peasant man was trying to help Miyuki or molest him.

The "queen" seemed to be thinking the same thing because he backed away further before giving a small squeak when his back came to the wall.

The taller man smiled and leaned even closer. "Miyuki… I want you to tell them what REALLY happened the day Yomi died…"

The "queen's" red eyes widened a bit at the statement then welled with tears.

"Wait, what?" Hiei slipped into the room and closed the door. "What do you mean what 'really' happened? He killed him! Just like he tried to kill us!" Kurama and Karasu nodded in agreement.

"Miyuki _thinks_ he killed Yomi," the man answered, never taking his eyes off the bluenette in front of him. "But… it was really just an accident."

"An accident…?" Karasu whispered and stepped closer. "How?"

Miyuki turned his head away, not wanting to speak. So the peasant man finished for him in a soft voice. "Miyuki thought that Yomi would reject him once he discovered his little secret. Before the former king could even say anything Miyuki threw a kerosene lamp at him. When the 'queen' tried to apologize, the king pushed him away. Miyuki tripped and stumbled into a table holding several candles, and you can only imagine the outcome."

Everyone stared at him in shock, even Miyuki. "How… how do you know that?" The 'queen' asked. "I… I never told anyone…"

The silver-haired man gave another smile and took Miyuki's hand in his. "Did I not say that you THINK you killed Yomi? In actuality, he's alive and well."

"But… how did he escape?" Suzaku mumbled stupidly. "Everything in the room was torched… He couldn't have really survived!"

"Well, he really shouldn't have. But something saved him." The man smiled and turned to face Kurama. "Of course you don't remember, you lost your memories when you went back into your rose."

Kurama blinked and pointed curiously to himself. "Me….? But I…"

"King Yomi and his son discovered you early on that day. Karasu, I'm surprised you didn't remember yourself, it was an interesting find. Of course he was a simple, normal rose at the time." The peasant man turned to face Karasu, smiling warmly at the teen's confused expression. "Have you figured it out yet? Who I am?"

Karasu just stood there, motionless and speechless. His father was alive… and this man was talking as if he actually _was_ Yomi. But that couldn't be…

"You look nothing like Yomi!" Hiei growled. Kurama squeaked at the hostility in Hiei's voice before reaching to Karasu for safety. The king quickly took him from Hiei just as the shorter teen stomped over to the newcomer. "You're not him! So stop spouting nonsense like you are! He's dead! He has been for thirteen years! Nothing's going to bring him back!" Hard as he tried not to, Hiei's voice broke on the last sentence. In truth, he and Karasu were the closest ones to Yomi when he was alive. Almost like Hiei was his son too.

The silver-haired man just smiled and let Miyuki's hand slip from his grasp. "Right, I'm sorry, I guess I'm still in disguise…" So saying, he reached up and slowly tugged a lock of his silver hair. The wig slipped from atop his head and slid to reveal dark, raven-hued locks instead. "Kurama, I'm afraid I need your help for the next part."

The fairy boy jumped slightly before flitting from Karasu's arms and over to the strange man. The man gently held out his hand to Kurama and whispered in the boy's small ear. With a nod, Kurama hovered over his head then flicked a sort of glittery dust over the man's form. Everyone watched as the man's features slowly changed to those they knew all too well—King Yomi's.

Needless to say everyone was speechless once more.

"Ah, much better." Yomi smiled at Kurama and held out his hand again.

The boy blinked and gently sat on his palm, wings drooped slightly. "So…. You're Karasu's father…?"

"That is correct." Yomi answered in a cheerful tone. "I'm terribly sorry we had to meet this way. Although, our meeting might be cut short soon…"

"What do you mean?" Kurama frowned and tilted his head in confusion.

"The last rose pedal…" Yomi replied. "Once it falls you'll go back to sleep… Who knows when you'll awake. That is, unless our young king here will keep his promise." He turned expectantly to Karasu then chucked at his expression. "What's the matter? Not excited to see your old man?"

Hiei and Karasu both just stood there. They couldn't decide between crying from joy or fainting from surprise.

Yomi watched them a few minutes before turning his gaze to Miyuki. The 'queen' took one of the teens' ideas and just fainted right where he stood. Not a very graceful reaction for a man of his stature. Suzaku was right beside him, out like a light. "I see…." Yomi sighed before turning back to his son. "I suppose I shouldn't have been gone for so long, but I wanted to see how things would turn out and I wanted to wait and see if Kurama would wake up."

Hiei and Karasu just stared at him but their expressions clearly stated "WTF?"

The former king gave another sigh and held Kurama out to Karasu. "After saving me, he went into a deep sleep for thirteen years. I noticed the rose started glowing again so I figured that he might awaken… so I gave him to you."

Naturally, Hiei was the first to overcome the shock and speak his mind. "THAT WAS STUPID!!! We could have died!!! What if Miyuki tried to kill us sooner?! Then what??!"

"Hmm, I guess I didn't think that far ahead… I just wanted to show off Kurama!" Yomi smiled innocently.

Karasu quickly took hold of Hiei before the smaller teen did anything drastic, frowning to his father. "You… you made us all depressed and upset, nearly had us KILLED, and didn't stop Miyuki just because you wanted to show off a new friend?!"

Yomi feigned to think for a bit before giving another smile. "Yes."

"YOU'RE THE WORST FATHER EVER!!!!!!" Hiei hissed and squirmed in Karasu's grip, desperate to get a hold of Yomi. "I'LL KILL YOU!!!! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE MY IDOL!!!!"

"Simmer down Hiei, honestly." Yomi frowned and backed away before looking over his shoulder at the unconscious Miyuki. "Besides, no-one was harmed, really…" He smiled back at the boys. "And everything turned out fine! Aside from Miyuki's mental health… I'll find a way to fix it, but for now"—he stepped closer and held Kurama out to Karasu once more—"You owe him something."

Karasu blinked stupidly a bit before realizing what Yomi meant and let go of Hiei. He gently took Kurama into his own hands and frowned a bit. "But… you're still tiny… how can I kiss you when you're that small?"

The redhead blushed and nervously glanced back to Yomi. "He… has a point… I don't think I have enough energy to turn into a human form…"

"Hmm, this is a problem…" Yomi crossed his arms and placed a hand to his chin in thought. "I suppose… we might have to let you go back to sleep and just wait…"

"But what if I forget again!" Kurama whined in protest. "I don't want to forget Karasu… I… I…" He blushed again and turned his head up to Karasu, at a loss for the right words to say.

For once, Karasu actually caught the hint. The raven smiled sweetly and held him closer, closing his eyes. "Kurama… I love you too…" Kurama gave a low squeak and buried his face in Karasu's shirt, trying to hide his reddening cheeks. After a few seconds he mumbled "Love you, Karasu" and the raven smiled more.

Hiei shuffled his feet in discomfort. Being witness to your cousin's homosexual love confession wasn't always the most comfortable thing.

Yomi didn't really seem to have a problem with it though, because he just offered his usual smile and stepped closer to the two lovers, but then the smile faded. "Karasu…"

Karasu blinked and looked over at him before down to Kurama, uttering a small cry of surprise at what he saw.

Instead of the common glow resonating from Kurama, the boy seemed to look like he was shimmering to glitter-like pieces. It obviously did no harm to the boy, because he was actually smiling peacefully. But all the same; Kurama was leaving.

"Wait… Kurama… you can't…." Karasu bit his lip and tried to hold the boy closer, but the pieces slipped away. Eventually all of Kurama fell like sand into a glittering cloud of dust before vanishing, as if he were never even there. The last thing Karasu saw of Kurama before he disappeared was his sweet smile, but then nothing. Tearfully, he held out his hands to catch the falling shimmers but they slipped through his fingers to the floor.

"Karasu…" Yomi spoke gently and placed a comforting hand on the man's trembling shoulder. "It's alright… we'll see him again. This is exactly what happened the first time…"

But the king was unmoved; he just stared at the glittering spot on the stone tiles with tear-filled eyes. "What if… he doesn't remember like you said…?"

"Then… I suppose you'll just have to help him fall in love again?" Yomi smiled and Karasu chuckled a bit before wiping his eyes.

-----

"And then what happened, daddy?" Kurisha, the eldest of Karasu's two daughters asked. "Did Kurama come back?"

"Yeah, come on, that CAN'T be the end!" Hione, the other daughter growled. "Finish the story!"

Karasu smiled warmly at them before tapping his chin in thought. "Well… of course the king was able to be with Kurama. That following spring he rediscovered the shimmering rose in his garden, after a few days of care the bud finally opened and the red-head appeared."

"Yeah, but did he remember the king?" Kurisha asked anxiously, tugging at her cute kitsune outfit in earnest.

"I'm getting to it!" Karasu laughed and gently ruffled her hair. "At first Kurama didn't recognize the man at all, but after a few days the fairy-boy remembered everything, even when he rescued the former king Yomi."

"What about Miyuki?" Kurisha tilted her head curiously.

"Yeah! Tell us about the transie!" Hione yipped and was immediately popped in the head.

"Language, young lady!" Karasu cleared his throat before continuing. "After Kurama recovered his memories, Yomi had him use some of his power to heal Miyuki's mind. As far as I know the two are deeply in love, if you can believe it, and have adopted a young boy named Shura as a second son.

"Suzaku asked if he could quit being the main servant so he could tour the country. Last I heard he was happily sailing with a few pirates and met an interesting mermaid named 'Rando'. Little does he know, Rando is actually a male as well, but you can never really tell with mer-folk.

"Hiei also found an interesting partner. Yomi explained that he was disguising himself as a friend all those missed years—a man named Yoko with amazingly stunning features. Once Hiei saw Yoko, he fell in a heartbeat. Although, Hiei isn't really the one in charge.

"Karasu kept his promise to Kurama, but on one condition… he asked that Kurama marry him, despite the fact that both of them were male. Kurama happily accepted and they were both wed toward the end of spring."

The raven smiled and gently took Kurisha's small hands in his, waving them with every syllable to his next line. "And they all lived happily ever after!"

Kurisha giggled and crawled into his lap, pulling her grumpy sister with her. "Daddy… was mommy REALLY a fairy prince?"

"Well," the man chuckled and held them both in his lap. "Not a fairy per say…"

"Either way, mom's AWESOME!" Hione yelled and punched her fist into the air, nearly hitting her father in the chin.

Karasu laughed before turning them over and tickling them. "Now! You've had your story, off to bed!!!"

The girls giggled and rolled around before whining. "Whaaaat? That's it?"

"Yes, now in," the raven replied and reached over to pull their bed sheets back. The five year olds whined again but obediently crawled under the covers, resting their heads with cute sighs. Karasu smiled and gently tucked them in.

"Dad… You think we'll be like that some day…?" Hione yawned, tugging the sheets to her dark chin.

"Hm? Like what, sweetie?"

"You know!" Kurisha smiled, snuggling close to her sister. "Like mommy… All pretty and finding his prince!"

Karasu laughed and leaned over to kiss them both on the cheek. "Well, you're halfway there! Both of you are frighteningly stunning for your age."

Hione smiled tiredly and Kurisha cast him a sweet look. "Thanks daddy… love you… And I really liked the story!"

"I'm glad you did, sweetheart," the raven replied and kissed her cheek again before whispering. "Now get some sleep…"

Both of them gave a cute yawn and closed their eyes before snuggling close. Smiling, Karasu slipped from the bed and paced to the doorway. After dimming the lights, he left the room and gently closed the door behind him. Quietly, he crept downstairs and into the kitchen where he found his modern, beautiful red-head waiting.

Kurama cast a sweet smile to him before setting two pieces of chocolate cake on the large table in the center of the room. "So? Which story was it this time?"

"The one where I made you into the most precious little fairy ever!" Karasu purred and gently pulled the read-head closer.

"Ah, I see, so you emasculated me again?" Kurama joked, resting his hands on the raven's chest.

"Nooo, no, come on, I kept you a GUY. You were just…. Extremely girly and pretty. Glowing and all! Really, the kids loved it."

"Oh? And you don't think I'm pretty now?" The red-head quirked an eyebrow before turning his head to the side with a fake sigh. "I suppose… I'm just not that good-looking… You have to make up fanciful stories to make me seem more appealing…"

"Noooo, Kurama, that's not it!" Karasu whined pathetically and gently pressed his forehead to his "wife's". "You know you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Kurama smiled and nuzzled his nose. "Third most; our girls come first."

"Right," Karasu purred and gently pressed his lips to Kurama's in a sweet kiss. Of course the both of them knew that no story could replace the real thing, but the girls wouldn't be able to hear THAT version until they were much, much older. For now, Karasu didn't' seem to mind making up fantasies to keep them amazed. Maybe next week he could try the "Beauty and the Beast" story…

-----*~^~*--The End.--*~^~*-----

48


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